To: Daddy's Little Girl
by Firefrost
Summary: Alternate Ending up! July, 1941: WWII was a hard time for hundreds of thousands of families, and Inuyasha's is no exception. Torn apart by conscription, his return to a wife and child are called into question. IK, reference to MirSan. (One-shot) R&R!
1. To: Daddy's Little Girl

Okay, guys! A short one-shot for all my fellow Inu/Kag fans. I am planning on writing an alternate ending to this sometime in the near future, so no fears and keep watch.  
  
**WARNING: The original ending I wrote is NOT fluffy and light. Be warned!**

Disclaimer: sighs How many times must we go THROUGH this, Rumiko? YOU own, not me!! The story IDEA is mine, but technically under law, you can now use my whole idea and take credit because I used you characters.

-----------------------------------  
_**To: Daddy's Little Girl  
**_-----------------------------------

Damn it all to Hell!  
  
Leaning back against the slimy mud behind him, Inuyasha Takahashi could almost swear the corner of the yellowing piece of paper was curling with age before his very eyes! Well, he thought, at least it was only happening at the corners. He would have had to go on a rip-roaring rampage if the image itself had been damaged! After all, what could be more precious than a snapshot of that one, all-important moment he had been misfortunate enough to miss? It was all he had to remind him that his life before this had been REAL, and not just a wishful dream.  
  
"Hey," came a voice from beside him, and Inuyasha looked up in alarm, clasping the picture to his chest fiercely.  
  
"What the hell do you want, Miroku?!" Inuyasha growled, bristled immensely that his tender moment had been interrupted.  
  
Miroku Hiragawa, the newest recruit of Inuyasha's company with only five months behind him, snorted. "Well, nice to talk to you, too, Inuyasha!" He wiped his filthy hands on the dusty grey pants of his uniform, sat down beside his superior, and turned his attention to the piece of paper in the Master Corporal's hands. "Whatcha got there?"  
  
Inuyasha's fist came down roughly on the soldier's head, causing the young man to groan and rub the sore spot tentatively. "That's SIR to you, soldier! We're on duty, remember?"  
  
"Fine!" Miroku cried, throwing his arms into the air dramatically. "What have you got there, SIR?"   
  
From the moment Miroku had met his hard-headed MC, and had thrown words with him, the other boys of the company had been quick to dub them the "Double-T." That is, Team Testosterone. Honestly, Miroku and Inuyasha were just as aggressive OFF the battlefield as on when they felt like it: a fact that their commanding Captain, Ross, did not fail to miss whenever he saw them. They were competitive and very passionate men, who had very special reasons to go on living – even though they woke up every morning in the middle of a hell-hole.  
  
That, however, would be temporary.  
  
Inuyasha ignored Miroku's question, and closed his eyes, trying to rid his nose of the putrid smell of rotting flesh drifting down from the front bank of the body-filled, green and red trench that they sat in. The smell was absolutely nauseating – even more so when he looked down at his feet and saw the slick shape of a hand sticking up from a pool of sickly-green goo. The arm attached to the hand was bent backward, and the fingers of the hand itself were limp.  
  
The Master Corporal's chocolate gaze traveled up the arm again, and stared into the stunned, pale face of the body, which was permanently contorted with fear and pain from the pussy, weeping bullet wounds in the dead man's chest and abdomen. The bacteria were already starting to attack the corpse, and the sight along with the smell was enough to make Inuyasha turn sideways and puke!  
  
Miroku put his hand on his friend's back, rubbing soothingly as Inuyasha spewed green, lumpy liquid into the mud beside him. When Inuyasha finally finished with a grunt, he sat back up and lifted his arms up to stretch, and one hand wiped away the vomit from his chin and lips. In doing so, Miroku managed to catch a good glimpse of the small photograph in Inuyasha's grip.  
  
Curiosity piqued, and knowing well his commander was in no mighty mood right now, Miroku leaned in and snatched the photo right from the MC's hand!  
  
"NO!" Inuyasha shrieked, terrified. "It might tear!!"  
  
But, luckily for Miroku, it did not tear.  
  
"Pretty lady," Miroku replied, smiling and raising an eyebrow. "Your sister?"  
  
Inuyasha held out his hand patiently for the precious picture to be returned; he did not want to risk taking it by force. "No. My wife, idiot!"  
  
Miroku ignored the outstretched hand. He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Inuyasha being married, and through his laughter – and Inuyasha's brooding – he looked back down to examine the faded photograph more closely.  
  
A beautiful woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties, sat facing the camera. Obviously, from the white pillow and wall behind her, and all the equipment beside her, she was in a hospital. Deep blue-grey eyes stared out at him from below sweeping ebony bangs that joined a wavy head of flowing hair, neatly tucked behind the woman's right ear and curling over her shoulders as it cascaded down her back. Her face was sweetly round and young, and her cheeks tinted a faint rosy colour. Her skin was damp and shiny with perspiration, but she smiled brightly despite her exertions. Wrapped tenderly in her white hospital gown-clad arms, was a lovely little baby with chocolate eyes and small patches of black hair on its head.  
  
"How adorable!" Miroku grinned delightedly.  
  
"For COURSE she is!" Inuyasha replied, taking the photo gently from his friend and stroking it affectionately. "She's my little princess...! Takara..." A deep sadness appeared inside his eyes as he stared at the portrait of his family, thousands of miles away.  
  
"Where are they?" Miroku asked, frowning sympathetically.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes misted, as though he were far away in time and space. "Detroit, Michigan. We moved from Japan four years ago, Kagome and me, right after we were married. In 1937. I was a Historical Legends Professor at the university and an antique guru. Got an awesome katana from fifteenth century Japan at home in a glass case! Then I got drafted...."  
  
"How long ago was that?" Miroku replied.  
  
"Sixteen months ago," Inuyasha replied miserably. "My wife was just halfway through her term at the time. I didn't want to go...!" He paused, and let out a heart-wrenching sigh. "Kara will be almost one now... I was home six and a half months ago for a week on official leave, but..."  
  
Miroku nodded. "But, it wasn't long enough. I know how you feel."  
  
"I sent a package to my girl a week ago; Kagome knows I like sending it to Takara in name: makes me feel like I'm getting to know her, you know, get to be a real father. It's been delayed in the mail, they said, but they'll be shipping it this week."  
  
Miroku nodded agreement. "Sometimes I do that, too. These little monsters," he said, pulling out a necklace locket from his buttoned-up pocket, and flicked it open with his dirt-encrusted forefinger, "are my two boys, and my lovely wife there— Sango's her name— can look forward to at LEAST two more little tykes when I come home and finally get my itching hands on her! Besides, there're too few young kids in our neighbourhood in London. Ontario, that is."  
  
"Funny, I didn't think a woman could bear living with you, let alone bedding with you! Not to mention in a frigid place like Canada!" Inuyasha prodded, smirking.  
  
Miroku grinned back. "I was thinking the same thing about you. And it isn't that cold, most of the time."  
  
"Whatever, but at least I keep my hands off the field nurses," Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"I only play, sir. Nothing compares to my Sango."  
  
"Feh!" Inuyasha turned away in annoyance, and folded his arms.  
  
"Boy, I bet your wife loves that phrase!"  
  
Inuyasha turned and growled. "You don't know her! How DARE you talk about my wife! My Kagome is sweet and caring, and I won't allow you to make assumptions about what she does or doesn't like!"  
  
Holding up his hands in peace, Miroku stopped playing. "Calm down, I didn't mean to offend."  
  
Inuyasha made a very graceful "Hmph!" and stayed silent after placing his photo into the pocket of his shirt.  
  
An uncomfortable silence followed. Neither was inclined to break it, but Miroku knew it must be done. So, at length, he spoke.  
  
"Did you know we're going over the top in the morning?"  
  
Inuyasha, alarmed, turned to look at him. "Already?! I thought they'd give us a little longer! After all, there are machine turrets and bunkers up there!"  
  
Miroku nodded, remembering full well was over the edge of the trench: about forty feet of No Man's Land and then a steep rising slope, with at least a dozen machine gun bunkers at the top. Going over without a plan was suicide! Hopefully, the command had some rationale behind it, rather than some officer sitting in his damned tent barking orders without knowing what the hell was happening in front. The last time THAT had happened (which had been the night before), the whole front line of men hadn't gotten three feet from the trench before dropping, courtesy of the bunkers up the slope!  
  
Miroku suddenly felt very sick as he looked up at the hot, summer sky as dusk began falling. Something in the pit of his stomach felt very ill, and he was very afraid. Afraid that he would be one of those men who dropped! What if he never saw Sango or his boys again?! "Inuyasha, are we going to die?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at him incredulously. What did he want him to say? Yes? No? Maybe? Somewhere deep inside himself, Inuyasha was treading lightly on that question, too. He couldn't afford to believe he would die, and leave his beloved wife and child alone. But he also couldn't afford to get too cocky. So, he did the only thing he could allow.  
  
He stalled the answer.  
  
"War is war, Miroku. Some men live, others die. All we can do is fight hard, and keep thinking about how good it'll feel to be dismissed and sent home, where we can embrace our wives and indulge our children again."  
  
"Yeah," Miroku smiled, lingering in a descriptive daydream. "Indulge our wives and embrace our children...!"  
  
Miroku cried out as a hand came down on his head again.  
  
"You pervert!" Inuyasha grinned. "But, yeah, it'll be nice to... indulge Kaggle-baby..." His grin became a smirk.  
  
"Now who's the pervert?" Miroku chuckled.  
  
  
  
This intense wail of a child hit Kagome's ears, and her eyes snapped open to greet the pre-dawn darkness of morning. She was up on her feet in an instant, and took a moment to stare at the friendly Yellow LED's of her alarm clock that read 5:41. Her satin pajama pants rustled as she hurried over to the crib resting along the adjacent wall to her bed, and picked up her pride and joy delicately.  
  
Takara Takahashi continued to sob and squeal until her gentle mother, now twenty-six, sat in the rocking chair near the crib, and pulled up her satin tank top and presented her with a warm, soft breast. Kagome sighed as Kara's little lips nibbled about for a time before finally finding and latching onto the pink-brown nipple, beginning to suckle hungrily.  
  
Leaning back into the soft back pad of the chair, Kagome began to rock slowly, pondering. She knew how reproachfully people looked at her for breast-feeding; after all, Kara was eleven months old. But, Kara still wanted Kagome's milk, and to hell with what the doctors said! Kagome's friend, Eri, when she had her baby, had gone off the breast to bottles early, and ended up starving her kid because of what those people had told her!  
  
"A bottle every four hours, whether the baby cries or not," they had instructed.  
  
Screw that! Kagome had a rule: if her baby cried, she would go straight to the breast. If her baby didn't want the breast, it was time for a diaper check. And so on and so forth... Anyway, what was wrong with breast feeding a baby – even if they were almost a year old? Kagome would feed Kara that way until probably a year and half before switching to solids. Why did every mother Kagome know always bottle feed?  
  
Kara pulled away from the nipple after having her fill, and gave a soft hiccup. Kagome melted, staring down at the lovely little package in her arms. The one that looked so identical to the wonderful man who had sired it.  
  
"Oh, Kara...!" Kagome cooed, nuzzling her daughter as she took her back to the crib. "Why can't Daddy come home, huh? I can write him letters – send him pictures as often as I can – but I can't send him those beautiful little sounds!" She moved over the to window on the other side of the room slowly, so as not to wake the now sleeping infant.   
  
Staring out at the morning light, now draping over the sky from the horizon, she felt a sudden cold spread through her, and a deep sense of dread crept over her tired mind and battered her with worry and ice! "Why can't you be here, Inu...?"  
  
  
  
Fuck.  
  
It was all that could come to mind as he gripped the edge of the trench and stared over the dead bodies of the row of soldiers that had just pushed out – and been slaughtered by the swinging gun turrets! If it weren't for the fact that Miroku was on runner duty, Inuyasha wouldn't have been quite so frightened! As it was, he was about to be ordered to hop up and dash over a forty foot graveyard and try not to get pumped full of bullets long enough to engage in melee! He was fucking terrified!  
  
He glanced at the muddy watch on his left wrist. Five minutes. They'd been waiting five minutes.  
  
His right hand released the edge and reached to touch the pocket of his shirt. He heard a soft crackling sound as he pushed against the paper inside, and sighed in relief. He still had his picture! For that, he could thank God! Now, if he could just manage to survive...  
  
He could only think of one thing as he heard the signal whistle blow, and he and his comrades hauled themselves up over the edge, preparing to rush forward: I love you both! All he could remember of himself: I love you both!  
  
Pushing up onto his feet, he pounded forward, rifle in hand, and from the corner of his eye, he could see the others doing the same. However, a great many of those dropped, bleeding, to the ground as the sound of ammunition rounds exploded rapidly in all directions! He looked down at his feet for a split second – long enough to watch his footing as he stepped awkwardly into a puddle of the same green goo he had encountered before, inside the trench!  
  
A split second, it seemed, was too long to look away...  
  
Multiple explosions reverberated through his stomach, causing wave after wave of agony to sweep through him! He looked down at his hand that had instinctively clutched his abdomen, and saw blood oozing alarming forth in streams that soaked his uniform crimson! He began counting. One.. two.. three.. four.. five. Five bullet holes.  
  
Five minutes of waiting. Four years of blissful marriage. Three wonderful family members: mother, father, half-brother. Two gorgeous females at home that he loved with all his heart. One more moment to realize that he was falling.  
  
And then, Inuyasha Takahashi felt nothing more...  
  
  
  
Someone was at the door.  
  
Kagome looked up over her shoulder from inside the livingroom towards to adjacent front hall. A few feet away, Kara was safely sitting in her playpen. The knock she had just heard came again, and Kagome scrambled to end her conversation quickly.  
  
"... Amber, I'll have to call you back. ... Uh-huh, you too. ... Okay, bye." She hung up the phone and hurried to the door, hearing Kara squeal cheerfully in her pen.  
  
Opening the door, she had expected to see a neighbour or friend who was just stopping by for a visit on a lazy Sunday afternoon in late July. Instead, she saw a man dressed in a black sweatshirt and grey pants. His black hair and brown eyes were fixed on her intently. He tried to force a smile as he handed her a package and a letter, but it didn't work very well.  
  
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Takahashi," he nodded shakily as he handed her a clipboard. "I'm Miroku Hiragawa. I was a soldier in your husband's company. Would you please sign here."  
  
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hiragawa," Kagome smiled brightly, as she signed the dotted line. She knew who the parcel was from. "My, he sends bigger packages every time! I'll have to give him one heck of a hug when he comes back next!"  
  
A sad glint appeared in Miroku's eyes, and he had to look away. "My sympathy, Mrs. Takahashi. May I step inside for a moment?"  
  
Kagome became a little wary, but allowed him into the front hall, keeping a close eye on him to make sure he didn't go for the livingroom, where her precious baby could still be heard giggling loudly.  
  
"Yes?" she said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Ma'am, I was a soldier of Inuyasha's company, as I said, but I think I also became his friend. I was only there six months before I was discharged recently."  
  
"Discharged? For what?" she asked.  
  
Miroku waved his hand absently. "Some complaint put in by the field nurses. Said there was something wrong with my hands. Imagine! But, um... that's not the point I was getting at..."  
  
Leaning against the light blue wall, Kagome tensed a little. "And just what WAS the point you were getting at?"  
  
"I think, Mrs. Takahashi, that you should sit down. Take the package and letter with you to the couch. I swear, I'll stay right here where you can see me; I can imagine how hard it is to let a stranger into your home – especially with a young child there."  
  
"Can you?" Kagome said skeptically, but gathered the mail and sat on the couch anyway, and as promised, Miroku stayed rooted to the spot.  
  
"I'd advise opening the package fi—!" Miroku started, but Kagome was already tearing open the envelope of the letter.  
  
The letter had been addressed to one Mrs. Kagome Takahashi from the MMRO: the Michigan Military Registrar's Office.   
  
Her eyes began to widen as she read the short letter, until they glistening with tears that spilled down her cheeks rapidly at the end.

----------------  
  
_ Dear Mrs. Takahashi,  
  
It is my deepest regret to inform you that on Wednesday, July 20, your husband, Inuyasha Takahashi (MC), was gathered and registered KIC: Killed In Combat. It is with heavy hearts that we announce such a devastating loss. I, myself, had the privilege of knowing him: a deeply honest, passionate man, worthy of pride and honour. Know that his valiant sacrifice has been for our united wish for peace. He was a fine soldier, and a remarkable man.  
  
With Deepest Sympathy,  
  
Jason M. Ross (CPT)_

----------------  
  
Kagome's throat felt like a vice as she struggled to gasp in air! She struggled to find some mistake in the letter – something that she had overlooked that would disprove EVERYTHING that she had just read! She reread three times, to no avail. It was what is said it was. All around her the world was crashing down, and she didn't even hear the gurgling of her concerned child who stared out at her through the thin, translucent cloth of the pen.  
  
Kara's little arms were outstretched, wanting for her mummy to hold her. Something wasn't right with her mummy, and Kara wanted to make it better! She gurgled again, frustrated.  
  
Kagome finally noticed, and forced a smile at her baby girl. "It's okay, sweetheart. Mummy's sob okay..."  
  
Reaching into the envelope again, Kagome pulled out a small piece of yellowing paper with the corners beginning to curl. She blanched and bit her lower lip. It was the picture she had sent him of Kara's birth. Her lips trembled ferociously, before she began choking on the lump in her throat.  
  
Tenderly, she held the picture to her heart, then brought it to her nose. It smelled faintly of sweat and dirt and blood – the smell of war – but more so did it smell of pine and male and sap. It smelled of Inuyasha...!  
  
Tossing the letter and envelope onto the glass coffee table, and placing the picture into the pocket of her shirt, she leaned back into the couch, taking a shaky breath as she braced herself for the opening of the package. It would be his uniform and belongings, she just knew it! She glanced down, and saw the writing on the brown paper wrapping, and wailed in agony as she tried to wipe away her tears.  
  
_ To: Daddy's Little Girl  
c/o: Kagome Takahashi  
2499 Pennbury Avenue,  
Detroit, Michigan_  
  
Kagome held her head with her hands and rocked back and forth, crying and sobbing, as quietly as she could manage, for Kara's sake. From the corner of her blurry eye, she could still make out Mr. Hiragawa, standing motionless in the doorway. The room seemed to grow freezing cold and dark around her, and she could find no means to escape it!  
  
When she gained enough strength to continue, she opened the paper, careful not to rip the writing, and set it aside delicately on the table: it had been one of the last things he had written to her...!  
  
Inside, she saw a giant fuzzy pink teddy bear, with a satin bow around its neck, and a pillow sewn to its front paws that said "I Love You." And underneath it was a postcard. Very gently, she lifted up the card, swallowed deeply, and continued wiping away the constant tears. On the front of the card was a picture of a beach with crystal blue waters, white sand, and gorgeous sunshine. In the lower right-hand corner, it said in cursive "Welcome To Heaven."  
  
Kagome smiled genuinely, despite her pain. He had known she had always wanted to go to a beach just like that.  
  
She turned the card over and read the short message: his last words to his family:

----------------  
  
_ Hi, Kara, sweetie! How's Daddy's little girl? How's Mummy? Daddy's fine, but he misses you and Mummy a lot! A lot, a lot! He can't WAIT to see you two again! Has my little genius started walking or talking yet? I hope not. Daddy would HATE to miss that! Anyway, Daddy's gotta go, so I love you both THIIIISSSSS much! Give Mummy a great big hug for me, k, baby girl?  
  
XOXOXO,  
  
Daddy_

----------------  
  
Miroku, never one to enjoy seeing a woman cry, pulled out a pen and paper, and scribbled down an address and number, and approached her, kneeling beside the arm of the couch. "Kagome, this is my phone number and whatnot. If you need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to call either me or my wife, Sango. Anytime, day or night. We'll do whatever we can."  
  
Through Kagome's tears, she peered at him, blue eyes sparkling like blazing diamonds. As hoarse as her throat was, she managed to say thank you softly. He nodded and padded her shoulder.  
  
"Would you... would you please just... stay with me? Just for a little while? Please...?"  
  
He nodded. "May I use your phone to call my wife?"  
  
Kagome nodded dumbly, jaw agape slightly as she stared at Kara, still fussing in her pen. As Miroku dialed the operator for the connection, the twenty-six year old widow hobbled over to her lovely little child, and cradled her firmly against her. This was the last thing she had of him. Her Inuyasha...! He had left her his child: the spitting female image of himself.  
  
Before, there were times when Kagome found it painful to look at Kara when Inuyasha was away, because of the resemblance. And now, she knew that pain would only grow more frequent, but she would bear it bravely. After all, Inuyasha, wherever her beloved was, would want her to smile again.  
  
**_ The End (Not! Don't forget the alternate ending! )_**


	2. Alternate Ending

Okay, everybody: the alternate ending is here! I'm honestly can't decide which ending I like better!! Let me know what you think! And THANK YOU for all the reviews so far!!   
  
Oh, and this ending has some repeat material you saw in the original story chapter, because I wanted to show exactly where this ending starts in the story, without having to break the mood or flow. Enjoy!  
  
------------------------------  
  
Fuck.  
  
It was all that could come to mind as he gripped the edge of the trench and stared over the dead bodies of the row of soldiers that had just pushed out –– and been slaughtered by the swinging gun turrets! If it weren't for the fact that Miroku was on runner duty, Inuyasha wouldn't have been quite so frightened! As it was, he was about to be ordered to hop up and dash over a forty foot graveyard and try not to get pumped full of bullets long enough to engage in melee! He was fucking terrified!  
  
He glanced at the muddy watch on his left wrist. Five minutes. They'd been waiting five minutes.  
  
His right hand released the edge and reached to touch the pocket of his shirt. He heard a soft crackling sound as he pushed against the paper inside, and sighed in relief. He still had his picture! For that, he could thank God! Now, if he could just manage to survive...  
  
He could only think of one thing as he heard the signal whistle blow, and he and his comrades hauled themselves up over the edge, preparing to rush forward: I love you both! All he could remember of himself: I love you both!  
  
However, just as he was ready to swing his left leg over the edge, he felt the full impact of someone falling on top of him! The soldier who had been to his right, a nineteen year old boy named Arby Mackenzie, was now lying sprawled across Inuyasha's back. Blood was seeping from multiple bullet holes in his chest.  
  
As Inuyasha stared over his shoulder, managing to see an awkward angle of Arby's face, he thought how wretched it was to see him like that. Arby had been a cheerful lad, with wide, enthusiastic green eyes, and soft, curly brown hair that he had complained tickled his ears. Cheeks speckled with freckles, and dimples when he smiled... A promising young art student from Bristol Academy, with high hopes and dreams of painting landscapes, was now sickly pale and icy cold. Another numbered, categorized, and ranked casualty.  
  
Inuyasha wondered if the stranger in some distant military office, who would write the letter of KIC to the Mackenzie family, would even remember the boy's name, after the letter was stamped and filed for mailing. Somehow, he doubted it.  
  
Pinned precariously as he was, the MC stayed as still as possible so as to not attract the attention of the bunker men above. From his front-row vantage point, he clearly saw brave men, young and old, charging through the sea of corpses that lay sprawled along the waste of No Man's Land. He also saw them convulse upon the ground as many of them were pounded mercilessly with wave after wave of slug shots!  
  
Limbs of the dead twitched in the mud, and the living tried to zig-zag their way across, counting borrowed footsteps and seconds. For like any soldier, they knew that most of them would die.  
  
Realizing that he couldn't play dead forever, Inuyasha went up on his elbows and pushed sideways hard. Arby rolled off him, and lay face down in the slime to the right, motionless. He prepared to stand, until he heard the clear ringing of a whistle: Fall back!  
  
On hands and knees, Inuyasha turned, to stretch parallel with the line of the trench. As he prepared to swing the five or six feet down to shelter, he felt a burning sensation in his right ankle, and heard a hideous crack! Frightened to look, Inuyasha froze. He knew it must have been a bullet, from where or whom, he didn't know, but it sure as hell was a bullet! A single round fired that had hit and, he suspected, lodged in the bone!  
  
The throbbing pain seemed to cloud his vision and made everything sound hollow, as though it were happening under the earth. The explosions, the screams, the cha-chink! cha-chink! of reloading guns...  
  
He heard a very distinctive scream – more like a terrified yell – and it was getting louder and closer. He saw a blurry shape grab him and pull him into the trench. And just before he was safely below, the last thing Inuyasha saw of the forty foot stretch was a man, desperately retreating, who missed a step and pounded down hard onto a hidden landmine. There was a scream over the explosion, bright light and bloody chunks of burning flesh flying through the air, and then the man fell to the ground! His leg, up to the mid-thigh, had been blown to bits.   
  
His vision cleared for a moment, and he saw Miroku looking down at him with frightened eyes. And then, Inuyasha passed out.  
  
  
  
Kara smiled a wide grin and squealed, showing off her few tiny teeth as she pulled the rubber ducky from her mouth and splashed in the two and a half inch deep water of the bath tub. Kagome smiled back, and kept her right arm firmly braced around her daughter's back to keep her from falling into the water and hurting herself, or worse, drowning. The other was rinsing off the soap suds from Kara's chubby little tummy.  
  
"Okay, pumpkin," Kagome cooed, reaching over with her left hand and pulling the plug from the drain. She waited a few moments until the tub was empty, and then wrapped her darling in a fuzzy yellow towel, and lifted her out of the tub and into her embrace. "Time to get dressed and open that package Daddy sent us, remember?" It had come just that morning via military courier, and Kagome hadn't had a chance to get to it yet.  
  
Into the master bedroom they went, and Kagome laid Kara on the bed. She fetched a little white dress with a red bow on the front and undies from a baby dresser near the crib. She also grabbed a pair of white baby socks from another drawer of the dresser, and could not resist the impulse to take a little white bonnet as well.   
  
Returning to the bed, Kagome ruffled Kara dry gently, and slipped on the rainbow undies and tiny socks – though not before kissing each and every one of her tot's adorable toes. Then, she sat the eleven-month-old up. Lifting the little arms, the young mother threaded her baby's body skillfully through the holes and openings of the dress. Then, she tied the bonnet on comfortably snug, and beamed.  
  
"Awww...! Such a pretty baby, my girl!"  
  
Glancing around a moment, Kagome realized just how attached she was to this room. This was where Inuyasha and herself had slept for over two years together. She guessed that was the reason she still had Kara sleeping in there. There was a bedroom just one door down the hall fully ready for Kara, but Kagome needed to know that Inuyasha would be with her, and Kara was a part of Inuyasha.  
  
Snapping out of her trance, she picked Kara up. Kagome wove her way downstairs to the livingroom. On the glass and iron coffee table (with rounded, smoothed edges to help keep Kara as safe as possible) was a brown paper package. Kagome chuckled as Kara stretched her arms, her chubby little fingers wiggling in the air as she tried to reach the box.  
  
Mrs. Takahashi sat down on the puffy cranberry-coloured couch with her daughter in her lap. With her free hand, she brought the box forward, and placed it on the couch beside her. She smiled when she read the writing on the paper:  
  
_To: Daddy's Little Girl  
c/o: Kagome Takahashi  
2499 Pennbury Avenue,  
Detroit, Michigan_  
  
Oh, he's such a sap, she thought giddily. But, how could she NOT love him for it?  
  
Kagome always found it amazing that despite Kara only ever seeing her father once in her whole life (about six and half months ago, when she was five months old), she could always tell when a parcel or letter was from Daddy. And even more incredible was that she was always so enthusiastic about it, and seemed to adore him – a man who was almost a complete stranger to her!  
  
That made Kagome's heart warm. There was a special bond there, between Daddy and his little girl. And, Kagome couldn't be happier for it! Well, she supposed that she COULD be, but that would take Inuyasha's coming home permanently.  
  
Honestly, she was starting to worry. Not because Inuyasha lacked in sending updates; he did that as rigidly as a mental institution's medication timetable! Her uneasiness swelled because Kara would start talking and walking any time now, and the idea of her daddy not being there to see it broke Kagome's heart! Time was against Inuyasha here, but she prayed every night that Kara wouldn't start doing those things until he was home – even just for a visit!  
  
Unwrapping the paper from the box delicately, so as not to tear the writing, she opened the lid of the box, and smiled.  
  
"Oh, look, Kara!" she said, reaching in and pulling out a lovely pink teddy bear that said 'I Love You!' "Look what Daddy sent you!"  
  
Kara shrieked in delight, clapping her hands, bouncing and grinning, before grabbing the bear and hugging it tightly. Kagome laughed when she began to gnaw one of the ears, slobbering into the fur. Kara was teething everything now, gumming away on toys, fabric, furniture, even Mummy's hair, when it came in reach!  
  
While Kara was pre-occupied with the teddy, Kagome pulled out a postcard from the box.  
  
"Oh, Inu...!" she sighed, peacefully, "How do you always know?"  
  
A white, sandy beach on the front of the postcard. Kagome had always wanted to go to one just like it. In the corner, it said 'Welcome To Heaven.' She turned to card over, snuggled a now quiet Kara further against her chest, and began to read.  
  
"Hi, Kara, sweetie! How's Daddy's little girl? How's Mummy? Daddy's fine, but he misses you and Mummy a lot! A lot, a lot! He can't WAIT to see you two again! Has my little genius started walking or talking yet? I hope not. Daddy would HATE to miss that! Anyway, Daddy's gotta go, so I love you both THIIIISSSSS much! Give Mummy a great big hug for me, k, baby girl? Kisses and Hugs, Daddy."  
  
As soon as she finished, Kara gurgled softly and rested her head against her mummy's bosom, and cooed softly through her nose as she sucked her thumb. Within minutes, Takara was completely relaxed and asleep against her mother's chest.   
  
  
  
"Uhhh...," Inuyasha groaned. "Where the hell am I...?"  
  
"Hospital tent. Good to see you awake."  
  
"Miroku? What happened?" Inuyasha blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his vision. When it finally came to him, he saw that he was lying on a cot, staring up at Miroku, who sat in a fold-up chair beside him.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Miroku smirked. "You got careless, as usual. Got you a shattered ankle bone this time. The doc did what he could, but he couldn't manage to reach the slug; it's lodged in there like no one's business! He's having you shipped home tomorrow. You're gonna need surgery, he says."  
  
Despite his unbelievable happiness, Inuyasha remained skeptical. "They're sending me home because of a little slug in the foot?" He couldn't believe it! Men with far worse wounds were forced to stay on. The officers weren't going soft, were they? They couldn't afford to.  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes. "Be a little grateful, will you! You're going HOME! Permanently. The injury is in a really bad spot, and you won't be of much use to Command now."  
  
"Why's that?" Inuyasha felt a deep dread rising in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"It's not THAT bad, Inuyasha – and, yes, I can call you that 'cause you've been 'Honourably Discharged!' " Miroku replied, leaning back in the chair. "You'll still be normal and do almost everything you could before. It's just that the bone is gone; doc called it 'glass shards'. Even with surgery, you're not going to be able to run very well anymore, so you'd be a sitting duck out here. Command says it'll be better to send you home."  
  
"Then what's the surgery for?" Inuyasha asked, quirking a brow.  
  
Smiling, Miroku chuckled. "You're snapping right now, Inuyasha. Maybe you don't feel like it, but you are. Doc gave you a shot of morphine. See, that slug, if it stays in, is gonna put you in misery 'till the day you die. So, you're getting surgery in three weeks or so to yank it out. It's simply gonna be done for the pain, not the disability from the wound. But, I guess they'll put a rod in to help support yourself reasonably on both feet."  
  
Inuyasha felt agitation creeping up fast. "So, you're saying I'm a cripple?!"  
  
"Well...," Miroku shrugged, "kinda, yeah. But, I mean, it's not a serious cripple..."  
  
Growling lowly, and making a warning fist, Inuyasha brooded, completely bristled. There was a long silence before it hit Inuyasha. "Hey," he said, "what about you? You can't fight on your own! You can't rightly hold a gun when your damned hands are smothering women instead! How are YOU gonna make it?"  
  
Miroku smiled, batted his eyes affectionately, and spoke in a high-pitch voice. "Why, Inuyasha, I didn't know you cared!!"  
  
Perturbed, Inuyasha shifted away. "No wonder you can't keep your hands off women! You ARE one! Trapped in a man's body, no doubt! You got fem envy!"  
  
Miroku pouted, and crossed his arms, brows furrowed. "That's not very nice to say to the man who saved your sorry ass! And I'll have you know that I'll be just FINE without you here, 'cause I won't be here either."  
  
"What?" Inuyasha gaped, jaw hanging.  
  
"I've been dismissed, too... eh heh, not quite so honourably, though." Miroku rubbed the back of his head nervously.  
  
Sitting up, Inuyasha glared. "What did you do this time, you pervert?!"  
  
"Um... apparently the field nurses wrote a complaint. They, uh, said my hands were evil and, um, ill. I can't ever imagine why..." he trailed off into deep thought. Why would the women say such a thing?  
  
"Oh, really?" Inuyasha stared flatly, "Neither can I." The sarcasm was dripping it was laid on so thick.  
  
  
  
Kagome smiled and stamped her sandaled feet on the hard ground, puffing with excitement. She stood on the grey pavement of the aircraft base, looking out to the runway a hundred meters off, silent and almost ready to burst from the tension in the air!  
  
She was so happy she could die!  
  
And she wasn't the only one.  
  
A woman who looked not much older than Kagome herself stood with two very young boys. Her hair was draping loosely down her back, and her dark brown eyes shone dazzlingly! She stood a little higher than Kagome, and was stouter, but very pretty. In a white knee-length wrap-dress with sandals, she looked caring and strong: the epitome of motherhood. She had said her name was Sango Hiragawa, and that her husband was Miroku Hiragawa: a soldier from Inuyasha's company.  
  
"He is with my husband?" Kagome had said.  
  
"Yes," Sango had replied. "Miroku wrote me letters talking about 'Master Corporal Inuyasha Takahashi' sometimes."  
  
The two boys, Keitaro, who was three and a half, and Tanjiro, who was two ran about and more than once poked their heads into Kagome's stroller to look at Kara. They were Miroku's sons, who bounced up and down in the anticipation of seeing their father again!  
  
It was August 14, 1941, and the most wonderful thing that either family had ever heard was going to happen today – soon! Their men were coming home!   
  
Sango, after having heard the report as to why her husband had been dismissed, had laughed. She knew he'd done it just to be sent home, but she would certainly pretend to act mad at him for groping another woman! SHE was the only one he was allowed grope!  
  
Kagome, on the other hand, had been relieved, but also concerned. After receiving notice that Inuyasha's ankle had been crippled, she had been very worried! The letter had explained that he was being sent home by boat to an East-shore port, then flown over to Michigan South Air Base, where they were now. A week or so later, he was scheduled to have his surgery.  
  
But now, Kagome was just happy he'd be home! For good. Even if he couldn't run so well anymore, he could still walk, and he'd be fine in time! She just KNEW it!  
  
Mrs. Takahashi and Mrs. Hiragawa's eyes widened and they stared in absolute joy as the shape of a helicopter appeared in the distant sky! Not long to wait now.  
  
Kagome looked down at herself. Knee-length black skirt, sandals, white blouse, hair in a ponytail. She looked down into the stroller in front of her, and inspected Kara as the nearly one-year-old (for her birthday was in three days). Her baby, who had a blue pacifier in her mouth, was in a warm red bonnet and matching dress with small white frill fringe along the edges. Her legs and little feet were covered with horizontally striped leggings that were blue and white.  
  
As the Bell 47 helicopter approached the landing strip, a heavy wind picked up, and whipped the families' clothes and hair about wildly. All of a sudden, Keitaro cried out in triumph.  
  
"I can see him, Mommy!" he trilled, jumping. "I can see Daddy!! I can see Daddy!!"  
  
"Me too!" Tanjiro chimed in, trying to imitate his brother and hop up and down.  
  
The aircraft landed not so gracefully as hoped, but immediately Kagome and Sango hurried their children forward! Kagome pushed the stroller as fast as she could without startling Kara, and Sango's hand was on Keitaro's back as she held Tanjiro with the other, and ran! The mothers sprinted as though this were a dream, and that if they stopped, they would wake up alone again!  
  
No more lonely nights, they cried!  
  
The door of the helicopter opened and from inside came two men, dressed in uniforms covered in dry mud, but it didn't matter! Miroku helped Inuyasha out of the copter and aided him in balancing on one foot as Inuyasha reached back inside and grabbed a set of wooden crutches. No sooner had he set the crutches down and the two of them had moved away from the copter about ten metres, then both were surrounded by the loving arms of their wives.  
  
Kagome kissed her husband's cheeks countless times before she looked into his eyes! He lifted his hands from the crutch holds and held her close. She couldn't have asked for anything more! He stared at her, his chocolate eyes burrowing into her, making her warm.  
  
Then, she heard him whisper: "Finally...!"  
  
There was no time to think before she was swept into a passionate kiss!  
  
She moaned in delight and pulled away after a few minutes. Turning around, she lifted Kara gently from the stroller, and faced Inuyasha once more. She smiled widely, tears in her eyes. "Daddy's home, Kara!"  
  
Inuyasha couldn't stop the tear that rolled down from the corner of his eye, and he lifted his little girl from Kagome. Immediately, the child went to his chest, and her forehead rested on the side of his neck. Kara gurgled, and waved her arms a little, settling herself. Something about this man was familiar to her. Very familiar. The little fingers of one hand swept over his face: nose, cheeks, eyelids, chin... while the other hand landed softly on his other shoulder, trailing down to his collarbone lazily. He reveled in the touch!  
  
"How are you, baby girl?" he whispered, nuzzling and kissing the top of her bonneted head. "Daddy missed you...! Oh, how he missed you...!" He looked up at Kagome, and she encircled his neck with her arms, careful not to injure Kara in between them.  
  
"Both of you," he finished, and he kissed his wife again. He wondered, were her lips always this soft and luscious?  
  
A quiet sound sighing from between them broke their lips apart, and they both looked down in amazement at the sight of Kara smiling, eyes twinkling, holding her pacifier in her little hand. Kagome smiled, relieved. Inuyasha hadn't missed it!  
  
"Da-dee...," Takara sighed.  
  
Inuyasha bent his head down and kissed his girl softly on one puffy cheek, and began laughing softly. Her first word! Her very first word! He hadn't missed it!  
  
Kagome could see the deep affection in his eyes as he gazed, enthralled, at his baby. Grinning, she whispered in his ear, "Do you want another one, Inu?"  
  
He looked up in surprise, staring at her before smirking and whispering back. "What if I want more than one more?"  
  
Raising her eyebrows, she giggled. "We'll see how lucky you are on that one!"  
  
"I'm VERY lucky, Kaggles," he purred, and leaned down carefully to put Kara back in the stroller.   
  
"Let's take Daddy home, sweetie!" Kagome chimed, and gave her husband a lustful look. "See if he's as lucky as he claims!"  
  
And just as they were ready to move towards the road, where the Takahashi's car waited, Miroku turned from his extremely affectionate wife, and energetic little boys, and called out:  
  
"Inuyasha, remember: London, Ontario! Hiragawa, Miroku! I expect a letter or call, you know!"  
  
"Feh!" Inuyasha replied, making Kagome sigh. She loved that sound...! "I never believed for a second that I could get rid of you that easily!" And both men smiled.  
  
"No," Miroku grinned, "you're not THAT lucky!"  
  
Inuyasha frowned, and stopped Kagome so that he could turn them around to face the Hiragawa's. His right hand was around her shoulders, and his left was resting on the stroller bar. He nodded towards Miroku after giving his wife a sexy smile. "Oh, yes I am!"

**THE END (No, really, it is this time!)**


	3. Afterword: AN

**_ Afterword:_**  
  
Okay, I just wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed, and to let you know that this story is over now. However, I have written two other Inuyasha fics, if you look on my bio: one of them is huge, and I'm nearing the end of it... finally!  
  
I wrote the alternate ending as a way of letting the reviewers choose which way they wanted to end it. Honestly, I can't make up my mind which ending I like better. But, I'm sure most Inu/Kag fans like the second more.  
  
I want to thank Sake-is-Yummy for pointing out that my original ending is much more true for WWII; that is why I made it the original ending, because that is what happened almost all the time in the early 1940's. Men died and left wives with sons and daughters who didn't always get to meet them.  
  
This story is in memory of that war, as well as its predecessor, and is my way of remembering and honouring.  
  
"For we will always remember, lest we forget ourselves."   
  
**_Firefrost_**


	4. Helicopter Review Response

Hi, there! This is Firefrost, and I am just responding to a very interesting review that was left to my story, saying that there were no helicopters in WWII. I'm afraid that is incorrect. And while I don't mean to point out the reviewer, I want to clarify for everyone who read the reviews to understand that I checked if helicopters were in use in WWII.  
  
While not many - and certainly NOT used in combat - early Bell helicopters were used for light assignments, such as transporting small supplies from place to place quickly. They were used for scouting, submarine searches, and air rescue as well. Just because they were not battle helicopters does not mean they didn't exist.  
  
Don't believe me? Check out this URL:  
  
http:www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Rotary/MASH/HE12.htm  
  
Thanks for your time,  
  
Firefrost 


End file.
